Hopper



` Jan. 17, 1939. y A. DU Bols HOPPER i Filed May l2., 1937 Cil Patented Jan. 17, 1939 I UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Application May 12, 1937, Serial No. 142,305

Y In France May 15, 1936 7 Claims.

The present invention relates to hoppers or chutes, more particularly intended for materials in grains or in pieces, coal for instance, of the type having at the `lower end an outflow orifice of which the axis is more or less inclined with respect to the vertical and in particular to such hoppers which form part of valve-bag filling machines. It aims essentially at facilitating the progressive outflow of the material contained in or poured into the hopper and at reducing to a great extent the danger of the hopper becoming stopped up owing to the interlocking of the pieces or to the formation of an arch.

According to the invention, the outflow orice communicates with the rest of the hopper through a sort of gutter which is inclined substantially along the axis of the orifice and of which the height decreases as it becomes more remote from the said orice, said gutter being open throughout the whole length of its upper part inside the hopper but over a width which is less than the maximum width of the gutter.

Another feature that the hopper which is the object cf` the invention can have for still further enhancing the outflow of the materials, is to have on either side and all along the said gutter a surface which is inclined towards the latter. Itis furthermore advantageous for these two inclined surfaces to be dissymmetrical with respect to the vertical plane passi-ng through the axis of the gutter so that the intersection of one of said surfaces with the corresponding side of the gutter is offset in height relatively to the intersection ofthe other surface with the other side of the gutter.

Another optional feature resides in the fact that the said surfaces are raised upwards at their lower end adjacent the outflow hole.

By way of example, anvembcdiment of the hopper having the variousabove indicated peculiarities has been illustrated in the accompanying drawing.`

In said drawing:

Fig 1 shows a perspective View of the hopper which is the object of the invention;

Fig. 2 showsa partially broken away side elevation of the hopper in position for use,

and Fig. 3 shows a transverse section along I the line III-III of Fig. 2.

In the example of embodiment shown, the hopper has a substantially vertical and downwardly tapering front wall I, a downwardly tapering rear wall I4 and a side wall I5 which connects the walls I and 2 to each other along their edges except along their upper edge.

The front wall I is provied at its lower part with a projecting flange I@ inclined downwardly towards the rear and pierced with a circular outflow hole 2. At the bottom the side wall I5 is shaped to form a gutter or channel 3 which ends at the flange I6 and ts around the hole 2. The bottom line of said gutter is substantially rectilinear and perpendicular to said flange. Said channel is open at its upper part along its whole length and is thereby in communication with the inner of the hopper through an inlet formed as a kind of slot or throat. This throat has a width smaller than the maximum width of the channel.

On either side of said slot are provided within the hopper surfaces 4 and 5 inclined towards said gutter and towards the bottom of the hopper; said surfaces 4 and 5 merge into the gutter in such a manner that the depth of the latter decreases as it becomes more remote from the outow hole 2; furthermore, it is advantageous, as shown, for the said surfaces Vto be dissymmetrical with respecty to the vertical plane passing through the axis of the gutter 3 so that the intersections@ and "l of said surfaces with the sides of 'the gutter are offset in height relatively is located opposite a Vertical wall whereby, as it is known, thetdanger of the pieces interlocking with each cthervis still further reduced.

The hopper has furthermore, in the lower angles formed by the walls 4 and 5 with the front wall I, surfaces lil, I I, which are likewise dissymmetrical relatively to the median vertical plane of the hopper so as not to impart convergent symmetrical trajectories to the pieces. Said surfaces Iil, `I I are raised upwards and can be formed either by xed separate auxiliary surfaces, or by a suitable shaping of the surfaces 4, 5.

There can also be provided, in case the hopper should nevertheless become stopped up,` an inner bar lf2 which is pivoted at the -top ofthe front wall I so that it can pivot in a vertical plane, is bent so that its end penetrates into the outilow hole 2, and can be operated from the outside through the wall I4 by a handle I3. Preferably said bar is not in the median plane of the gutter but offset on one side.

It will be understood that when a material in grains or in pieces, pieces of coal for example, is poured into such a hopper, the outow of the pieces which are in the gutter 3 is not hindered and that any piece introduced into the gutter readily comes out oi.' same owing to the increas- .ing passage cross-section which it finds as it details of construction illustrated or described which have only been given by Way of example.

What I claim is:

1. In combination with a valve bag filling spout, a chute or hopper for receiving and directing into said spout the material to be sacked, said chute including an inclined channel member forming an upper extension of said spout and provided along its length and in its top part with a longitudinal slot the width of which is less than the maximum width of said channel, and a wall united to said channel member to form a small material receiving pocket or hopper along and above the slotted part of said channel member, one edge of said slot being offset in height with respect to the other.

2. In combination with a valve bag filling spout, a chute or hopper for receiving and directing into said spout the material to be sacked, said chute including an inclined channel member forming an upper extension of said spout and provided along its length and in its top part with a longitudinal slot the width of which is less than the maximum width of said channel, and a wall united to said channel member to form a small material receiving pocket or hopper along and above the slotted part of said channel member, said wall forming further on each side of the slot two surfaces one of which is substantially vertical and borders the slot and the other is inclined towards the slot. v

3. In combination with a valve bag lling spout, a chute or hopper for receiving and directing intosaid spout the material to be sacked, said chute including an inclined channelmember forming an upper extension of said spout and provided along its length and in its top part with a longitudinal slot the width of which is less than the maximum width of said channel, and a wall united to said channel member to form a small material receiving pocket or hopper along and above the slotted part of said channel member, said wall forming further two surfaces bordering respectively said slot on each side thereof, the part of said surfaces adjacent the lower end portion of said slot being longitudinally raised upwards.

4. In combination with a valve bag filling spout, a chute or hopper for receiving and directing into said spout the material to be sacked, said chute including an inclined channel member forming an upper extension` of said spout and provided along its length and in its top part with a longitudinal slot the width of which is less than the maximum Width of said channel, and a wall united to said channel member to form a small material receiving pocket or hopper along and above the slotted part of said channel member, said wall forming further on each side of the slot two surfaces inclined towards the slot, the part of said inclined surfaces adjacent the lower end portion of said slot being longitudinally raised upwards.

5. In combination with a valve bag lling spout, a chute or hopper for receiving and directing into said spout the material to be sacked, said chute including an inclined channel member forming an upper extension of said spout and provided along its length and in its top part with a longitudinal slot the width of which is less than the maximum width of said channel, a wall united to said channel member to form a small material receiving pocket or hopper along and above the slotted part of said channel member, an unstopping rod located inside said hopper and pivoted at the top of the hopper front part to be capable of swinging in a plane substantially parallel to the channel axis, and a handle carried by said rod and projecting outside the hopper to operate said rod the lower end of which is bent to project into the iilling spout i'n a direction substanl tially parallel to the axis of the latter and to engage the inner wall face thereof.

6. In combination with a valve bag filling spout, a chute or hopper for receiving piecemeal material to be sacked, an inclined channel member provided at the bottom of said hopper to form an upper extension of said spout, said channel member being longitudinally open at its upper part to thereby communicate with the hopper inner, wall surfaces provided within the hopper and arranged to form above and along said channel a kind of elongated throat having at least one face substantially vertical and a Width substantially less than that of the channel situated below, and surfaces provided on each side of said throat and inclined downwardly both towards said throat and the lower part of the hopper, the lower edge of one of said inclined surface along the channel being located opposite said vertical face.

'7. In combination with a valve bag iilling spout, a chute or hopper for receiving and directing into said spout piecemeal material to be sacked, said chute including an inclined channel member forming an upper extension of said spout and provided at its upper part with elongated inlet means to thereby communicate with the hopper inner, the width of said inlet being less than that of the channel situated below, and a wall united to said channel member to form a small receiving pocket or hopper along and above said inlet means and having on each side of said inlet means faces inclined both towards said inlet means and in the same ,direction as the channel member.

ALFRED DU BOIS. 

